Thrill-seeking great-grandmother, 90, celebrates her birthday by skydiving from 15,000ft to raise money for children’s hospice and says jump was ‘wonderful’
- Patricia Baker, from Leyton, Lancashire, jumped from airplane to raise money
- Raised £1,500 for Derian House Children’s Hospice and Hillside specialist school
- Celebrated 90th birthday by jumping 15,000 feet and called skydive ‘brilliant’
An adventurous great-grandmother has celebrated her 90th birthday by completing a 15,000 feet skydive to raise money for charity.
Patricia Baker, from Leyton, Lancashire, fulfilled a life-long goal to jump from a plane on Sunday, raising £1,500 to be split between Derian House Children’s Hospice and Hillside specialist school.
The granny, who has six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, appeared on Good Morning Britain today alongside daughter Carole, 59, from Penwortham, where she called the jump ‘wonderful’.
Patricia Baker, 90, from Leyton, Lancashire, appeared on Good Morning Britain with her daughter Carole, 59, from Penwortham, this morning
The great-grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday by completing a 15,000 feet skydive to raise money for charity
‘When I was jumping out [it was] brilliant, awesome,’ Patricia told hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.
When asked how it felt when she was falling through the air, she went on: ‘It’s hard to describe, it was scary but wonderful at the same time and I just couldn’t believe I was doing it myself.’
Pat turned 90 in July and wanted to check off skydiving from her bucket list, but the coronavirus pandemic meant her stunt had to be postponed.
‘My friend had her 90th birthday a week before me, in July’, Pat told Derian House ahead of her jump.
Pat fulfilled a life-long goal to jump from a plane on Sunday, raising £1,500 to be split between Derian House Children’s Hospice and Hillside specialist school
Determined to jump, Pat completed a rigorous medical test at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Cockerham, which included being harnessed-up and suspended from the ceilin
‘She was telling me about her ‘bucket list’ of things she was going to do and asked what mine was.
‘I said I’d not really thought about it, so I had a think and decided to do one big thing instead. I have always wanted to skydive, but it just never came up over the years.
‘I’m not frightened of heights – I’ve been up in a hot air balloon and paragliding before but I’ve never been to 15,000 feet so this will be a new experience.’
Before Pat could jump out of the plane, she had to have permission from her doctor, but her GP originally refused to provide a letter of approval.
‘When I was jumping out [it was] brilliant, awesome’, Patricia told hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (both pictured)
Daughter Carole said of her mother’s jump: ‘I am very [proud of her], she’s wonderful, it’s just amazing what she’s done’
Determined to jump, Pat took matters into her own hands and completed a rigorous medical test at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Cockerham, which included being harnessed-up and suspended from the ceiling.
After passing the test, Pat returned to the GP’s surgery with proof that she was able to undergo the jump, and was quickly given the all-clear to undergo the skydive.
Daughter Carole said of her mother’s jump: ‘I am very [proud of her], she’s wonderful, it’s just amazing what she’s done.’
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